Palin to headline Dallas fundraiser for anti-abortion group

Former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin will be in Dallas later this month, raising money for the Downtown Pregnancy Center. Palin "represents a woman who is strong and chooses life," and that's why the center asked her to speak at the $1,000-per-ticket benefit, its executive director said.

Former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin will be in Dallas later this month, raising money for a pregnancy center that promotes alternatives to abortion.

Tickets for the private fundraiser range from $1,000 to attend a dinner where she will be the keynote speaker to $25,000 for two to attend a VIP reception with Palin and the dinner.

"Sarah Palin is strongly for life," said Carolyn Cline, executive director of the Downtown Pregnancy Center in Dallas. "She's experienced unplanned pregnancy in her family . . . and made a decision to have a child even though" tests revealed there could be problems.

"She represents a woman who is strong and chooses life."

That's why they asked the former Alaska governor to speak at the April 30 gala at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, Cline said. Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert will welcome Palin to the event, and conservative talk show host Mike Gallagher will also attend.

There are 1,200 tickets available for the gala and 68 for the VIP reception. Palin is expected to speak for about 45 minutes at the dinner about the anti-abortion movement and why it's important, Cline said.

The goal is to raise enough money to buy an old Dallas home that will ultimately house the Uptown Women's Center, which will be for professional and collegiate women in North Texas.

"This is our big launch," Cline said. "We hope our one and only event will raise money to establish the Uptown Women's Center."

The center, she said, will offer everything from educational opportunities about sexual health to counseling about nutrition, fitness and relationships. The Gladney Center for Adoption in Fort Worth will even have an office and representative at the new center.

"We felt Sarah Palin would be a great icon for the center," said Vicki Garza, who serves on the center's board of directors. "At this time, this is her only appearance in the D-FW area this year.